Fuse-switch



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FUSE-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 15, 1917. Serial No.'202,110.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN P. ARNDT, a citizen of the United States, andresident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of\Visconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fuse-Switches,of which the following is a description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, which are a part of this specification.

The invention relates to switches.

The invention is more particularly designed to provide a disconnectingfuse switch using a fuse element with means for disrupt ing the are uponthe blowing out of the fuse element.

Another object of the invention is to provide a circuit controlledcompressed gas generating means within the fuse casing to disrupt thearc, occasioned by the blowing out of the fuse, by the use of thecompressed gas.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter setforth.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a sectional view of the fuse switch;

Fig. 2 is a section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 3 is a detail sectionalview taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

The numeral 1 designates the usual insulators carried by a suitablesupport, 2 the fixed contacts secured to the insulators; and 3 themovable switch arm as a whole, said arm being pivotally secured to oneof the fixed contacts by a pin or screw 4 on one fixed contact engagingin a slot 5 in the blade 6 of the switch arm, the other blade 7' of saidarm being releasabl held between the fingers of the other fixe contactaswill be readily understood b those skilled in the art.

The mova le switch arm consists of a cylinder or tube 8, caps 9 and 10secured to the ends of the tube and having the blades 6 and 7respectively integral therewith, means including a fuse element 11 forelectrically connecting said caps 9 and 10 and consequently the blades 6and 7 together, and means for disrupting the are upon the rupture of thefuse element.

The means for electrically connecting the caps 9 and 10 togethercomprises a. conductor 12 secured at one end to the cap 9 and at itsother to a tube 13 b a clip 14, a tubular fuse terminal 15 detacfiablysecured to the tube 13 by a pin 16 on the tube 13 and a bayonet slot 17in the terminal 15, the end of the fuse 11 being inserted in a slot 18in the terminal 15 and turned up and held bv a sleeve 19 slidablymounted on .the terminal 15, the other end of the fuse'being secured tothe cap 10 by being passed through a slot 20 1n a tubular fuse terminal21 and held by a sleeve 22 slidably mountedon the terminal 21, saidterminal 21 being secured to the cap 10 by having its outer flanged end23 engaging a tubular portion 24 on the cap and being clamped thereto bya cap 25.

The means for disrupting the are upon the rupture of the fuse elementcomprises a compressed gas generating means within the tube 8 consistingof a piston 26 connected to the tube 13 and slidably mounted within thecylinder and provided with piston rings 27, a rod 28 connected to saidtube and slidably mounted in a tubular plug 29 carried by the cap 9 anda coiled tension spring 30 secured at one end to said cap 9 and at theother end to the tube 13. The compressed gas is conducted from theclosed end of the cylinder into the tube 13, through apertures 31.

The cap 10 is provided with radially disposed lugs 32 to form channels33 between the cap and the open end of the tube 8 and a pull ring 34.

To assist in placing the fuse in position the piston is held againstactuation 'from the spring 30 by means of a pin 34' secured to the rod28 and adapted to engage in a -ba onet slot 35 in the plug 29.

Vith this construction when the piston 26 is pushed up so that the pin34' engages in the slot 35, the fuse terminal 15 protrudes through thetubular portion 24 and by turning it to unlock the bayonet joint it maybe removed from the tube 13. On its removal one end of the fuse 11 ispassed through the slot 18, bent up and the sleeve 19 slipped over itand the other end of the fuse is secured to the terminal 21 in a similarmanner by passing it through the slot 20 and slipping the sleeve 22 overit. With the fuse thus connected to its terminals the Patented Aug. 24,1920.

terminal 15 is slipped back onto the tube 13 tion 24. With the switchthus loaded-current from the line conductor 35 passes through one of thefixed contacts 2 to the blade 6, cap 9, conductor 12, tube 13, terminal15, fuse 11, terminal 521, cap 10, blade 7, other fixed contact to theline conductor 36.

If for any reason the current in the line increases to such an extent asto rupture the fuse element 11 then upon the blowing out of the fuse thespring 30 is released and the air in the tube is compressed between thepiston 26 and the closed end of the tube and passes through theapertures 31 into the tube 13 and terminal 15 through which it isdelivered in the space between the fuse terminals and blows out ordisrupts the arc and passes out through the channels 33. in theresetting of the device the switch arm is swung to open position by apull on the ring 34 and the fuse is replaced and the switch moved backto operative position.

The great danger with fuse switches is the liability of the arc injuringthe fuse terminals and the present construction successfully overcomesthis difficulty by disrupting the are through the use of compressed air.

1 am aware that the details of construction shown and described hereinare capable of some modification and change and 1 therefore desire it tobe understood that such changes in construction as come within the scopeof the appended claims 1 deem to be within the spirit of my invention.

What 1 claim as my invention is:

1. A fuse switch comprising a casing having a closed end and an openend, a spring pressed air-compressor piston working within said casing,a fuse secured to the open end of the casing and to the piston and heldin tension by the spring, and means for conducting the compressed airgenerated in the closed end of the cylinder against the ruptured ends ofthe fuse when the circuit is opened.

2. A fuse switch comprising a casing having a closed end and an openend, an air compressor piston working within said casing, a fuse securedto the open end of the casing and to the piston, means for moving thepiston on the blowing out of the fuse to compress the air between it andthe closed end of the casing, and means forv conducting the compressedair generated in the closed end of the cylinder against the rupturedends of the fuse when the circuit is opened.

3. In a fuse switch, the combination, with a tube having an open end, ofa fuse element secured at the open end of the casing, and afuse-controlled air compressor within the tube for delivering compressedair against the ruptured ends of the fuse element when the circuit isopened.

4:. An electric switch including a movable connecting switch arm forengagement with a pair of contacts and comprising a tube having an openend, a renewable fuse element disposed therein near the open end of thetube, and means for generating compressed air within the tube anddirecting the same in a stream against the fuse element when the same isruptured and the circuit open.

5. An electric switch including a movable switch arm for engagement withcontacts and comprising a tube, a cap secured to one end of the tube, aterminal blade carried by said cap and engaging one of said contacts, anoutlet port in said cap, another cap closing the other end of the tube,a terminal blade carried'by the last mentioned cap and engaging theother of said contacts, and electrical connections between the capsincluding a fuse element adjacent the first mentioned cap, a hollowterminal for one end of the fuse element, and means for generatingcompressed air within the tube and leading the air through said hollowterminal when the fuse element is ruptured.

6. In a fuse switch, the combination, of

a readily removable fuse element provided with a hollow terminal at oneend, and means for driving air through said terminal when the circuit isopened.

7. A fuse switch, comprisin a casing closed at one end and open at theother, a piston dividing said easing into a closed compartment and anopen compartment, a by-pass from the closed compartment to the opencompartment, a fuse element secured to the open end portion ofthe casingand to the piston, and fuse controlled means for moving the piston tocompress the air in the closed compartment, force it through saidby-pass and against the ends of the fuse element on the blowing out ofthe fuse element.

8. A fuse switch, comprising a casing closed at one end and open to theatmosphere at the other end, a piston working within said casing, arenewable fuse element, means removably connecting one end of saidelement to the front end of the piston, means for removably connectingthe other end of said element with the open end of the casing, acontractile spring normally acting to move said piston toward the closedend of.

the casing and held in tension by the fuse element, a by-pass from theclpsed end of the casing to the open end throi'lgh which air compressedby the piston upon its movement under action of said spring is directedagainst the ruptured ends of the fuse element on the release of thespring by the blowing out of the fuse element, and manually operatedmeans for returning the piston and spring to a position for replacingthe fuse element.

9. A fuse switch comprising a casing closed at one end and'open at theother, and

provided with a reloading opening at said open end, a piston workingwithin said casing, a reloading rod secured to the piston and passingthrough the closed end of the casing, a by-pass between the closed andopen end of the casing, a spring normally moving said piston toward saidclosed end, a fuse element removably secured at one end to the pistonand removably secured at the other end in said reloading opening andheld in tension .by the spring, said spring causing said piston tocompress air in the closed end of the tube on the rupturing of the fuse,the compressed air passing through said bypass and against the rupturedends of the fuse to extinguish the are.

10. A fuse switch comprising a casing closed at one end and open at theother and provided with a reloading opening at said open end, a pistonworking within said casing, a reloading rod secured to the piston andpassing through the closed end of the casing, a spring normally movingsaid piston toward the closed end of the tube to compress air therein,means for locking the rod and piston against movement by the springwhile reloading, a fuse element removably secured at one end to thepiston and removably secured at the other end in said reloading openingand held in tension by the spring on the release of said locking means,and a by-pass between the open and closed ends of the casing.

11. An electric switch of the class described including a switch armcomprising a tube, a closure for both ends of said tube,

an outlet port in the closure at one end of the tube for connecting saidend with the atmosphere, a piston reciprocally mounted in said tube, amanually operating rod for said piston having a by-pass in its endconnected with its piston for communicating the end of the tube adjacentthe closure havin the outlet port therein with the other end 0 saidtube, means normally urging said piston toward the closed end of saidtube, and means for retaining the piston against movement toward theclosed end of the tube and consisting of a renewable fuse elementconnected with said piston adjacent the discharge end of the by-pass andconnected with the closure having the outlet port, said piston beingrapidly moved toward the closed end of the tube upon a rupture of thefuse element whereby to compress air therein and eject the same throughthe by-pass 7 onto the ruptured ends of said element.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN P. ARNDT.

